The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-06-04

and left. The right marched up along York
river toward Yorktown, under Gen. Heint-
z'liian. The left, commanded by Gen Reyes,
followed the James river up toward Williams
burg. BY following the line of march upon
the map, the course of the two columns will
he clear. keycs was to proceed as rapidly us
might t'e on the west and occupy Halfway
House, point on the narrow dividing ridge
which formed the watershed between tho
York and James rivers. He was to halt here
and by all means prevent either the escape of
th" Confederate garrison ut Yorktown or the
throwing in of II endorsements to them.
k"ycs was expected to reach Halfway
House April 3. But he did not The two
months rain of the spring of 1852 began as
the Federal army began To move The roads
became ut some points impossible for artil-
lcry.
Another thing: In all the years that the
United States had been n country there never
had been an accurate map made of this part
of Virginia. OF the region immediately in
front of Hcintzelman's column there was no
better map than the one made when the Brit
ish hcs"ge'l Yorktown in ISL A govern
mcit survey of the Peninsula had been
made i'll lSlS hut later than that there wu,
nothing to goby.
The land before McClellan's army was M
unknown region Of swamp, with rain pour
i"S night and day, AMI lines of heavy Con.
fr'icrate fortliicatons between it and Rich
mond. Of all this the two advancing col
uinns knew nothing, except just that it
lnincl That was plain enough.
April > kcycs marched five miles ont, ell
countered the Confederate fortilications ut
Lees Mills and stopped. Seven miles below
quite across the solid ground of the Peninsula.
which. between the head of Warwick river
and York river, narrowed to three miles
Besides that the Confrlpraes had damned
the deep creeks flowing into the James and
Warwick rivers, which hal backed the water
into impcnctrablc hogs.
The Confederate army of the Peninsula was
under the immediate command of Gen. j.
Bankhcad Magruder. He had prepared or
begun three lines of fortllicaton across the
Peninsula. The first one was seven miles
below Yorktown While Mcclellan had
been cquipping his army and getting "good
ready" ut Washington, the Comfcderatcs had
been fortifyins between him and Richmond
1t was the Warwick river and the fortiica-
tions along its course which stopped McClcl-
lan's army, both Heintzclnan on the right
and keyes on the left. This river OIL the
maps Mcclellan had access to flowed parallel
with those rivers, nearly southeast. In
reality it flowed across the Peninsula between
the rivers.
1t made formidable barrier, fortified as it
was. keyes' column stopped at Lees Mills,
on tho Warwick, and encampcd there.
Hcntzelman's column approached nearer
Yorktown, where it was also stopped by the
Warwick. This was Magrudcr's second and
most important line of Notifications. The
first had been abandoned March l. The old
line Of Notifications thrown up by the British
In l1Sl had been revived by Magrudcr Along
the line Of the Warwick, stretched across the
Peninsula, were II, 900 Confedcratcs, and this
was the force opposed to Mcclellan with his
army of S., 900 men.
President Lincoln kept dispatcbng to him
to strike blow Magruder expected an
attack. His troops lay upon their arms in
the trenches several days awaiting the attack,
Opposite where McClellan's army lay, near
Yorktown, there were only 5000 southern
troops. There was some skirmishing, nothing
moro. If Mcclellan had Immediately attacked
Magruder he could have forced his line and
taken Yorktown without doubt
For six days the 5000 Confederates held
=
it began to be plain what he was about He
wns digging in the ground around Yorktown,
throwing up earthworks, preparing to place
heavy siege guns and go into regular invest
ment. He cut roads and built bridges. And
still it rained, and McClcllans soldiers sick
ened and died in the swamps Of the War
wick.
One of the Confederate Notifications on the
Federal right was known as Dam No. l.
April Is reconnaissance Of the Confederate
position was made here by some of Gen.
William F. Smiths men, under orders from
the general in chief. The Warwick was
waist deep, but some Vernonters he
roically waded across and gained the
Confederate rifle pits, which they held
for half an hour. They were forced to
withdraw, the Confedcrates being quickly re-
enforced. Once more somc other Vermont
troops were ordered across, under protection
of twenty guns, the division battery. But
they were met by heavy fire and werc Or
dered back Gen. Smith was exceedingly
anxiousto mass the division and make bold
L: Z.